All We Are
by invincible-soul
Summary: AU. "In Breakfast at Tiffany's, there's Holly and Paul." He pulls a pocket-sized photo of a beautiful brunette out of his coat pocket, and stares down at it as he explains. "This is Holly. Holly says people don't belong to people." He looks back up at his young son. "I'm Paul." He whispers in pain, "And I think... I think people do."
1. Walking On A Dream

"**All We Are"**

by Invincible-Soul

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><p><strong>CHAPTER ONE: Walking On A Dream<br>**_(song by: Empire of the Sun)_

It was almost 10AM sharp when Blair, standing in front of a tall oval mirror, succeeded in pinning back one last brunette curl. With a nod of satisfaction at her own image, she turned to see Serena sitting at the vanity at the other side of the room frantically applying mascara, and at one point, almost stabbing herself in the eye.

Laughing out loud, Blair teased, "Nice S, you really know how to get ready for a party. What's an eye-patch look without the long, defined lashes to go with it, right?"

"Oh come on B, we can't all wake up on time as easily as you," whined Serena playfully, "because _some _of us need the extra R&R."

Shaking her head, Blair replied with a smirk on her face, "Yes, I understand. Your escapades last night must've been quite the tiring affair." Serena skillfully managed to stick her tongue out at Blair, make a noise reminiscent of a five-year old being denied candy, while simultaneously applying blush over her cheeks. It is with a roll of her eyes that Blair peruses the many selections in Serena's closet - finally settling on a lovely Jenny Packham chiffon dress, she offers it to her crazed best friend (currently curling her hair and applying lip gloss, and somehow not burning herself, thank goodness).

"Thanks B, you're the best!" Serena exclaims, pulling on the dress with on hand and setting the curling iron down on the table with the other.

"I know, I kno-" Blair cut herself off before adding, "...but neither of us will be anything if you don't turn that thing off before burning down the whole house."

Zipping herself up quickly, Serena reaches over to stop her unintended pyromania, and then grabs Blair's hand and cheerfully tugs her out the door. "We did it! We're going to kind of, sort of, be on time!"

"Technically, I was on time until you happened." Blair deadpanned while Serena giggled at her. Together the two best friends rushed, as elegantly as they could, down the staircase and out the back door. The annual van der Woodsen Upper East Side grand gala was just beginning. Lily had been planning, as she did every year, this affair for months. And while usually Upper East Side soirees were arbitrary, though lovely, gatherings of unnecessary showings of wealth, this particular "grand gala" was just a fancy way of saying 'family get-together.' For the van der Woodsens, Waldorfs, and Archibalds, and the respective friends of the family (the humble but welcome Humphreys, for example), this was the most looked forward to, yet most casual, event of every year since it began three years ago - when Blair first began life anew.

As soon as Blair and Serena stepped into the party, they were swept up in the much-treasured whirlwind that was their loved ones.

"Blair and Serena, it's about time you two made it down." Lily teased her two daughters, one biological and one honorary, as she passed by on her way to adjust the floral centerpieces.

"Serena! I have to tell you the funniest joke I heard from McAvoy at school yesterday." Eric called over from his place by the buffet table.

"Blair, have you read this morning's cover story from the New York Times yet? I was wondering if you thought the writer did a good job analyzing the situation?" Dan inquired as he walked up to her.

And so this went on for an hour, until 11:30AM when a relaxed, seasonal lunch was being served at the tables. Family and friends catching up, sharing laughs over Nate almost knocking over the ice sculptures while wrestling with Eric and Dan trying to dodge Jenny's paparazzi photos ("...in the Holy name of Instagram!" she repeatedly exclaimed as she playfully chased after her camera-shy brother) without having a Nate-inspired accident - it all made for a great morning. As everyone calmed and sat down for lunch in incredibly good moods, the air changed as two shocking figures walked through the door: one tall, dark, and handsome, and one small, shy, and slightly terrified.

Most everyone in the vicinity collectively gasped, and even though Blair was unable to place how she was feeling at that particular moment, she did as well.

"Crap." Nate muttered under his breath. "Chuck Bass is here." Serena screeched.

With that, the great Chuck Bass' dark head turned towards Serena, and then drifted to the brunette by her side, finally locking eyes with Blair.

"GO AWAY." Blair shrieked, before she had even thought it over, frightening herself with her own angry and indignant tone. _Why did I just do that?_ The thought had popped into her head instantly afterwards.

Chuck displayed no emotions, and nodded his head at Nate before turning back to the doors leading into the house.

The resounding silence was finally broken a short while later, when everyone at the party could still hear the almost-forgotten second arrival inquire in a tiny and scared voice, "Daddy? What's going on?"

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><p><strong>AN: Looks like those three years of smooth sailing B mentioned is about to turn into a bumpy ride.**


	2. Wires

Recap: Blair lives with Serena in the van der Woodsen home. The story begins with Lily's annual family and friends gathering, where Chuck Bass, whom no one has seen for three years, has just turned up... with a son?

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><p><strong>CHAPTER TWO: Wires<br>**_(song by: The Neighbourhood)_  
><em>_

The party had ended solemnly, with promises from each individual of looking forward to next year as they headed out the door. The van der Woodsens set about overseeing the clean-up process, while Blair was left to her own devices to think over everything. She was completely grateful that Eleanor and Cyrus had been unable to make it this year - so that they did not witness the events of that morning. She could hardly explain the situation to herself, let alone to anybody else, and especially not to her parents.

Nate came down the staircase, having sat with Chuck and the little boy who was apparently Chuck's son in the guest room that had been provided to him, and instantly spotted Blair sitting quietly in one of the armchairs in the living room, lost in her own thoughts. He made his way over and knelt beside her, while quietly, in a very serious tone, began with "Blair, I have to confess something to you." Blair was startled and zoned back in to the real world, looking curiously at Nate. He continued, "I had forgotten that Chuck and I had a conversation over the phone in which he mentioned he would be back in New York and I, off-handedly, mentioned that I would be here. I guess, in a way, I invited him. I hadn't realized the gravity of your relationship with him."

Blair smiled kindly, "Nate, you know about three years ago. I honestly am not angry with you because I'm not even sure what is going on right now."

"Right." Nate blinked. "That makes sense. I still want to apologize though." He hesitated. "There's something else. I don't know if this is true, but either way it is going to be a huge shock." He paused once more, weighing the consequences of what he was about to say.

"Nate?"

"Blair... Blair that little boy is your son."

Before Blair could respond, her best friend - whom no one had realized had just come in through the door - screeched for the second time that day. Throughout the house, all could hear Serena's exclamation of "WHAT?" while Blair sat frozen. However confused she was at this newly discovered information, somehow she felt deep inside that it was true.

"Wait here." Nate instructed, as he patted her awkwardly on the knee before standing up and ascending the stairs. Blair turned towards Serena, "How could this be, S?"

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><p><strong>AN: How does the biological mother of a child not know of her own child's existence? Stranger things have happened. Don't fret, for you're not the only one asking this question. Blair seems pretty confused as well. Let's all cross our fingers and hope we get all the pieces to this jigsaw puzzle.**


	3. Heart Skips A Beat

Recap: Chuck has mysteriously turned up out of the blue with a son, and according to Nate, the child is Blair's as well. Both Serena and Blair are shocked by this news, but no one is doubting its validity.

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><p><strong>CHAPTER THREE: Heart Skips A Beat<br>**_(song by: Lenka)_

Blair tried to maintain an aura of I-know-what-I-am-doing as she cautiously led the three-year old boy, her _son_, around the house. An unsure but well-meaning Nate had brought him down to her, Chuck nowhere in sight, and stated that perhaps it was time for Blair and the little boy to share some bonding time. Despite the utter ridiculousness of the entire situation, Blair had to agree that she actually did desire being able to have some one-on-one time with the child.

She cleared her throat, "So, what do you like to play?" The child beamed at her, "Breakfast!"

If it had been seemly to do so, she would have at this point helplessly thrown up her arms. _What does that mean? I'm going to screw this up so badly. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing!_

"Are you hungry?" Blair asked slowly.

The child's eyes got wide. "_Play _breakfast, not _eat_ breakfast."_ Well, at least the boy knows exactly what he wants to be doing_, Blair thought.

"Honey, what does that mean?"

The child (whom she should stop referring to as "the child," she added in her head) tugged on her hand and pointed to the dining room.

"Okay, and then what?"

The child - _Henry_, Blair firmly corrected herself - climbed up onto the long mahogany table by way of the chairs, and stood on top triumphantly.

Blair, still confused, asked again, "Alright. Now what comes next?"

Henry smiled, carefully climbed back down, tugged on her hand to bring her closer to the table, and then maneuvered back on top of it. It suddenly hit Blair, and she laughed in realization. "This is it, huh? You stand on the dining table and pretend you're breakfast!" She started laughing even harder, "I forgot you're three. Of course this is a game for you." She smiled affectionately at Henry, before sitting next to him on the table. "Good idea, Henry. I've never done this before." It was juvenile, but nevertheless admittedly a sort of thrill to do something as horribly offensive as sitting (standing, in the young boy's case) on top of a piece of furniture on which people usually enjoyed meals.

Henry shook his head and sadly remarked, "You don't get it." Then, slightly more cheerfully, he kindly pets Blair's shoulder and says, "Don't worry! You will understand someday." The way Henry said those six magnanimous words struck something within Blair. The tone used, and the mannerism in which they were delivered - all of it seemed to imply that this boy had heard these specific six words in that precise order many times before. She wondered if Chuck, as a loving father, had patiently explained phenomenon after phenomenon to Henry - why the skies were blue, why dogs barked while birds chirped - in the comfort of their own home, and sometimes utilized "Don't worry, you will understand someday." When she had finally zoned back in, Henry was staring at her curiously and quietly, which was a relief to Blair when she considered the alternative of Henry throwing a fit or having run away while she was not paying attention.

"You're so good Henry. I'm sorry I was ignoring you, I was merely thinking too hard. Come on, let's go see if Nana wants to play." _Nana? Is that the right thing to call Lily?_ she asked herself as she picked up Henry and placed him against her hip.

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><p><strong>AN: Blair laughs at Henry's silly game, as she should. What a strange and pointless "game." Wonder who taught it to him in the first place?**


	4. The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore

Recap: Blair and Henry get bonding time thanks to Nate, wherein which Henry introduces a strange game... one called "Breakfast?" The game makes no sense - which fits perfectly into the theme of _what in the world is going on_? Young Henry, however, assures his mother that she will understand someday. Blair decides they both need some bonding time with "Nana."

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><p><strong>CHAPTER FOUR: The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore<br>**_(song by: James Morrison)_

Elle's ever-irritating smirk and pompous hair suddenly blocked Blair's field of vision. Adjusting Henry on her hip, Blair impatiently asks, "Elle. Mind getting out of my way?"

"No, Blair. Unfortunately, Lily has a very important business meeting in about half an hour, which she is preparing for right this moment. She can't be bothered with… trivial matters." Elle gave Blair a condescending once-over.

Blair had hated Elle since the first time she laid eyes on her, and her hate was a feeling reciprocated quite strongly. For some reason unbeknownst to her, Blair got the feeling Elle was out to get her.

The stare-down occuring outside of the door lasted until the aforementioned door opened and allowed Lily's head to poke through. Lily looked at Blair, the small child whose arms were grasping onto her, and quickly assessed the situation. "Well, looks like you'll have to cancel my meeting for me Elle." As Elle's mouth opened to protest, she was cut off. "Truthfully I have been wanting to get out of this one for a while. Mr. Campbell is a good business partner in general, but this latest venture seems a horrible waste of time." Dismissing Elle, Lily turned back to Blair, "Come on in." She smiled while adding, "This of course must be Henry. Serena told me."

A small feeling of victory arose within Blair as she spared one last glance at Elle's retreating silhouette. Following Lily inside her office and setting Henry down, Blair asked, "Did Serena tell you everything?"

"Yes," Lily replied, "Henry is not only Charles' son, but yours as well, is that correct?"

Blair sighed, "It is the most confusing situation anybody could possibly imagine, but it's the truth somehow."

"Nana!" Henry interjected, running over to Lily and hugging her legs.

"I hope you don't mind," Blair explained, "I wasn't thinking when I told him we were going to 'see Nana.'"

"Oh, of course I don't mind. It makes me feel old, but I suppose having such a lovely grandson makes up for it." Lily stroked the top of Henry's head, before extracting her legs from his tiny arms and patting the couch beside her, gesturing for Blair to sit down. "What I want to know is, have you had a chance to talk to Charles? It seems there is a lot for you two to discuss."

"I'm frightened," Blair admitted, "and though nothing makes sense and I wish it did, I'm scared to confront him. It is the strangest thing, Lily, but when I saw him this morning, I was overcome with emotions – many of them – ones I'm not sure I understand."

"My only advice to you, darling, is to push aside that fear and jump in headfirst. You have a son, Blair. This is most definitely a time in your life to figure out the answers to all of your questions."

Blair nodded. "You're right."

Honorary mother and daughter were sitting in comfortable silence, watching Henry play with the pages of magazines he found on one of Lily's coffee tables, until they were interrupted by the creak of the door. Nate walked in sheepishly stating, "Chuck… asked me to bring Henry back."

Blair picked up Henry, hugged him tightly, and transferred him into his Uncle Nate's waiting arms. "Thank you Nate." "Of course, Blair."

Lily and Blair embraced, "I leave you to your work." Lily replied pointedly, "I leave you to yours."

Blair returned to her room in the van der Woodsen home and sat in front of her desk in a daze. Knowing that even though it wasn't what Lily was referring to, Blair powered on her computer and began typing.

An alert indicating a message sounded from her phone.

_like tears, soft, salt, on my lips_

Blair stared at her phone in confusion. The message had come from an unfamiliar number, and the message itself made little to no sense – they were real words, but it was nowhere near a real sentence. She set her phone down and continued typing. A few minutes later, another alert sounded.

_You have time to do your promotions, but not enough time to discuss your own son._

Blair did not have to think too hard to realize that the incredibly condescending message had come from Chuck. She quickly typed out a response.

_Sorry. I could barely understand what you were saying in your first message, which was why I had not responded._

Her promotions were part of her work as an online journalist. For Chuck to know what she was doing... did that mean he had been checking up on her? Did he care about her, or was he merely putting in an incredible amount of effort to simply be rude? Blair watched her phone for a short while, but seeing no reply from Chuck, turned back to her computer. Hands hovering over the keyboard, and realizing she had lost her flow of thoughts for her writing, she put her hands down and resigned herself to zoning back out to concentrate on her Chuck-centered musings with a sigh.

Had Chuck shown up, with Henry, to give Blair a chance to know her son? Or was there another motive for his actions?

The messenger application on her computer suddenly rang out. "Raina Thorpe has sent you a message." _Raina?_ Blair pondered, surprised. She was a powerful businesswoman who did work with most all of the prominent figures in Manhattan, Lily included. This was the only context in which Blair knew of Raina Thorpe. Curious, Blair clicked to view the message.

_Chuck is a friend of mine. He is planning on taking Henry back to California soon because he feels Henry is going to be too spoiled around you and the van der Woodsens._

Blair was glad to see that Chuck was a thoughtful father, but the "spoiled" excuse was beyond preposterous. The accusation that the van der Woodsens and herself would lavish Henry with far too much attention only held a tiny grain of truth because they hadn't known of Henry's existence until a few hours ago, and wanted to get to know and bond with him. But along that same thought, they had literally only had a few moments of interaction with Henry. Surely Chuck had not received a Henry with an altered disposition when Nate had taken Henry back to his father?

_Why are you telling me this?_ Blair typed back.

_Just wanted to give you a chance. You need to talk to him._

There was a knock on Blair's door, and she quickly minimized the chat window. "B? It's me." S said through the door, before pushing the door open.

Blair looked towards Serena attempting to maintain as nonchalant of an expression as possible. "Yes, Serena?"

Serena narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Blair, and then shrugged before sitting down on her best friend's bed. "Look, I know this morning has been crazy for you, but I think it's time for you to talk to Chuck."

Blair's mouth quirked at Serena, the third person in a row to give her the exact same advice. Lightly stepping around her desk, she took her best friend's offered hand, and together they made their way to Nate's room.

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><p><strong>AN: Are things moving too slow, or too fast? Either way, all we can do is hope B keeps things moving along.  
><strong>


End file.
